Wonder Wanderer

When you are young, you are bombarded with new experiences.  Do you remember your first play?  Your first symphony?  The first time you went to an art museum?

 

When you are young and haven't been tainted by the world, experiences can be full of wonder and undiluted enjoyment.  You can be whicked away and caught up in the sensations of the moment.

 

And that is a good thing.

 

I am a musician, I think that is one of my defining attributes.  I pursued the study of music aggressively.  Classes in composition, history, conducting, theory filled my days for many years.

 

And as a result, my musical world changed.  The sense of enjoyment was still there but now there was knowledge behind my experience.  A little voice started telling me "Oooh, that's a hard part.  That took skill.  See how the phrases balance.  Wow, the tone that soloist is producing is incredible!".  The voice is almost impossible to turn off.  Did I enjoy the music any less?  I would say no.  But my appreciation of the music deepened.

 

I have dabbled in acting.  Even at the superficial level that I attained, my experience of the dramatic world changed.  I gained more of an appreciation for the art.

 

I've taken to sculpture lately.  Can you guess what happened?

 

A good artist can make you forget the process.  A good one can whisk you away and let you experience the wonder again.

 

It is easy to miss that initial sense of wonder that you get when you experience something for the first time.  Maybe that is why we need to seek out new things and new experiences.  Maybe that is why we need to seek out better and better artists.

 

Maybe that is why we should do everything we can to support the arts.